Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria (MULAN), Kaduna state chapter has ordered Muslim lawyers to boycott the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference (AGC).
This was due to NBA’s decision to reverse invitation of Governor Nasir el-Rufai as a speaker at the conference.
Governor el-Rufai of Kaduna state, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state, were scheduled to speak on the 60th anniversary NBA virtual conference 2020 on ‘Identity of a Nigerian’ scheduled for August 24, 2020 .
According to MULAN, considering the spate of killings and banditry in Kaduna state and the North-west, el-Rufai is a critical stakeholder and addressing the Conference would have given him the opportunity to present the issues surrounding the challenges, while enabling NBA and its members to interrogate him on his roles, actions and inactions.
A statement jointly signed by the Chairman and Secretary of MULAN, respectively said, “MULAN Kaduna branch is bewildered and disappointed at the unfortunate dis-invitation of Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna state to the Annual General Conference (AGC) of the Nigerian Bar Association, 2020.
“The said decision of the NBA NEC is deemed by MULAN Kaduna branch as being parochial, sentimental, disuniting and tainted with favouritism and ethno-religious considerations.
“In view of the unfortunate decision of the NBA NEC, MULAN Kaduna branch is left with no option than to instruct its members to withdraw their participation in the forthcoming NBA AGC and enjoins all Muslim Lawyers in Nigeria to join in the boycott.
“MULAN Kaduna Branch has watched with dismay how NBA has kept mute in the face of genocide going on in the North-east, banditry and kidnappings in Katsina, Zamfara, Niger, and states, and Giwa and Birnin Gwari in Kaduna state with the NBA giving surreptitious ethnic cover to Southern Kaduna as if lives matter more in some parts of the country over the others.
“MULAN Kaduna makes bold to say that lives lost in Batsari, Katsina state far outnumbers that of 8 local governments of Southern Kaduna put together. This isn’t to say MULAN Kaduna justifies loss of lives anywhere and in any guise. MULAN Kaduna wonders where was the posturing of NBA at the many lives Iost in Borno state?
“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 precisely, Section 10 states in clear terms that “the Government of Federation or of any state shall not adopt any religion as a State Religion”. We are witnesses to how Governor Nyesom Wike demolished a Mosque and came out openly to say, ‘I repeat once again without apologies, Rivers is a Christian state. That is why nobody can touch us”.
“We believe that NBA NEC deemed these utterances glorious hence the lofty invitation to Nyesom Wike to use cur hallowed platform to propagate his governance inklings and dis-invitation of Governor el-Rufai. MULAN Kaduna branch believes what is sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander.
“The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Paul Usoro, SAN said “NEC’s decision yesterday had no ethnic or religious colouration or connotation howsoever and whatsoever”. MULAN Kaduna branch asks Mr. President if the topic: Who is a Nigerian? has anything to do with Southern Kaduna. An honest answer in this direction would reveal the clandestine motive of the NBA.
“The Paragraph 7 of the letter of Mr. President requesting the Governor’s Forum to communicate the dis-invitation to Malam Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai is certainly sinister as MULAN Kaduna wonders if the letter inviting him was routed through the Governor’s Forum in the first place! What stops Mr. President from sending the letter of dis-invitation to Governor el-Rufai directly?
“The impression earlier created before the emergence of NBA President’s letter to the Nigerian Governor’s Forum (NGF) was that the decision had been communicated to Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai directly. There is certainly more to it than meet the eye in the circumstances and to be modest, the NBA President’s assertion as contained in the letter to the NGF cannot be far from the truth as to the ethnc-religious drive in the whole of what have played out.
“MULAN Kaduna branch reaffirms their support to Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai in his efforts to stem the tide of insecurity in Kaduna state and Southern Kaduna in particular.
“While we pray for the repose of the souls of all the innocent victims of the gruesome killings across the country, we pray Allah (SWT) to grant our leaders the will to use all the legal machineries of state in Nigeria to bring to book all perpetrators of heinous crimes and violence in Southern Kaduna in particular and Nigeria in general, Ameen.”
